As the Denver Broncos secured a dominant 38-6 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, former Oregon Ducks quarterback and current Broncos rookie Bo Nix delivered the best performance of his NFL career.
“When I woke up this morning, I thought each day you get to go out there on the on the field and play for a team, for a franchise who believes in you, and an organization that does so much for you,” said Nix in his postgame press conference. “You just wake up ready to roll and you know, it’s a blessing to be in my spot, be in my shoes. Each day is a new opportunity, a new time to go out there and play in front of a home crowd that showed up today. It was a lot of fun”
The young quarterback has quickly become one of the league’s most efficient and effective passers, and his performance against the Falcons was nothing short of impressive.
Nix recorded career-highs across the board, throwing for 307 yards and four touchdowns. He finished the game with five total incompletions. It was the first game of Nix’s NFL career in which he threw over 300 yards.
His performance against the Falcons strengthened Nix’s case for Offensive Rookie of the Year as the former Duck leads all rookie quarterbacks with 19 touchdowns from scrimmage. Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is close behind with 14 total touchdowns on the season.
Denver receiver Courtland Sutton is not shy about campaigning for his quarterback to be included in offensive rookie of the year conversations.
“I made the comment, but the dude should be in conversations for rookie of the year,” Sutton said postgame. “There should be no hesitation.”
Nix showcased his ability to exploit Atlanta’s defensive weaknesses, connecting with nine different receivers for 307 total yards. Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton led Denver’s receiving corps, putting up seven receptions for 78 yards.
Sutton has developed strong chemistry with Nix, becoming a cornerstone of the Broncos’ offensive success. The receiver leads the team this season with 42 receptions, 569 yards, and three touchdowns.
Nix also rekindled his connection with former Oregon wide receiver and teammate Troy Franklin. The duo linked up multiple times, including a seven-yard touchdown pass that extended the Broncos’ lead to 27-6. Franklin finished the game with two receptions for 12 yards and a touchdown.
Nix remains the only rookie quarterback from his draft class to notch multiple wins against teams with records above .500. He also joins Peyton Manning as the only rookies in NFL history to record 200+ passing yards and 2+ passing touchdowns in four consecutive home games.
Nix’s success is not only comparable to other rookies but stands out even among the best quarterbacks in the league.
When comparing some of Nix’s stats to Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ this season, the rookie holds his own. Mahomes has accumulated 2,339 passing yards, 14 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and a 69.2% completion rate so far in 2024. Meanwhile, Nix has recorded 2,275 passing yards, 14 touchdowns, six interceptions, and a 65.5% completion rate, showing he can compete with the league’s best even as a rookie.
The Broncos lost to the Chiefs in heartbreaking fashion on Nov. 10, but Nix and his teammates have tried to keep a positive outlook.
There’s nothing we can do about the past, you know, there’s nothing we can do about last week, week before that, or even the win before that. So you don’t want to just settle and be complacent with what you’ve done. You know, in the past, you’re always finding ways to move forward. And this week, that past few weeks, we’ve been stuck in fire. . . . I think we’re all excited. We know the opportunity we have,” said Nix.
